Lakers’ Sun has mononucleosis
Rookie guard Sun Yue tested positive for mononucleosis, delaying the start of his Lakers career for an indefinite period.
Sun, 22, appeared to be in good spirits while meeting with media members Wednesday afternoon but was taken to a Los Angeles-area hospital a few hours later. He will not be ready for the start of training camp Tuesday, and there is no date for his return.
“It varies on the severity of it and the individual,” Lakers spokesman John Black said Thursday. “We simply don’t know.”
Sun skipped an unofficial practice with Lakers teammates Wednesday morning because he felt lethargic, which he attributed to jet lag after arriving in Los Angeles from China a few days earlier.
Mononucleosis can require several weeks of recovery, if not longer. Sun will rest this weekend and visit team doctor John Moe on Monday, Black said. If Sun is not considered contagious at that time, he can sit in on team meetings and watch practice from the sidelines until he is cleared to play.
A second-round draft pick in 2007, Sun signed a two-year contract with the Lakers last month. He averaged 6.8 points and 2.5 assists a game for the Chinese national team in last month’s Olympics.
He is not expected to get much playing time in his first season and could get extended time with the Lakers’ Development League team, the D-Fenders.
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